


Snow Day

by cheddarbug



Series: Flufftober2019 [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Flufftober2019, Multi, Polyamory, Romantic Fluff, Snow Day, Snowball Fight, Threesome - F/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2019-09-25
Packaged: 2020-10-27 21:44:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20767406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheddarbug/pseuds/cheddarbug
Summary: The sun has come out in Coerthas. That means SNOWBALL FIGHT!!!





	Snow Day

**Author's Note:**

> It's worth noting that Carine, Haurchefant, and Nero all have an agreed arrangement that will grow as their connection and relationships to each other grow. If there is any great threesome Nero could be a part of, it would involve the ever eccentric and loving Haurchefant <3

“Duck!” Carine squealed, her high laughter ringing out across the snowy banks and giving Haurchefant just enough warning to drop to the ground before a series of snowballs were catapulted his way. He lifted his head from the snow, shaking it from his face and hair before turning behind him to see Nero throwing his own snowy ammunition behind them. 

Having enough time to regain his composure, Haurchefant jumped to his feet and quickly found shelter behind the fort he, Carine, and Nero had painstakingly constructed at first light when the signs of the snowstorm the night before dissipated into nothing. Nero was the next to join him, his pale face flushed from the cold and the exertion and his hands already getting busy with making more snowballs. 

Haurchefant peeked around the wall and then quickly pulled back behind it before a snowball could collide with his face. “I think they got Carine,” he told his companion.

“Like hells they do,” Nero growled, packing more snow together into tight balls. “Here’s the plan. Run over to that other wall there to distract them. I’ll take out the more aggressive assailants and storm their fort while you take out their watchmen…”

He couldn’t help but smirk as he listened to the serious tone of the Garlean’s voice. Only Nero would take a children’s snowball fight and turn it into an act of war. Haurchefant didn’t mind. In fact, he rather enjoyed when Nero dove into business. 

“On my mark,” Nero nodded and counted down. 

As instructed, Haurchefant bolted to the left where one of their other walls had been constructed and began to use the snowballs stockpiled there to capture the attention of the kids that now had their woman trapped in their snow fort. Their defenses were impeccable, he noted, and they had numbers on their side. The task in defeating them seemed to grow ever more daunting as more and more little heads popped up to scan their surroundings. 

Of course, they didn’t have a battle hardened Garlean on their side. 

Nero charged out with a fierce roar, his eyes focused straight ahead as he chucked snowball after snowball at the children guarding their entrance. His aim was deadly, or would have been if he had been using a proper weapon instead of hard-packed snow. For a moment, Haurchefant worried that he would hurt the kids - that his single-minded determination to win would override their safety. He was about to call out in warning until he realized the snowballs were impacting harmlessly against their chests. 

He hadn’t made them too hard after all. 

With the children thoroughly distracted, Haurchefant took a few more of them out. Unfortunately in the midst of his attack, he had missed one of the other watchers. He turned just in time to see Nero take a mighty blow to his face, snow exploding everywhere.

Time froze, and it wasn’t only the child’s mouth that popped open in complete surprise and fear. Haurchefant found his stomach twisting uncomfortably as he watched Nero stop in his tracks and glare at the poor lad that had impeccable aim. Then, with great deliberation, Nero sank to his knees. Arms outstretched toward the sky, he cried out in utter defeat and turned to Haurchefant with hope. 

“It’s up...to you...now…” he gasped and then fell face forward into the snow.

It was difficult not to stifle a laugh at the ridiculous show. Even the children who had “fallen” protecting their fort sat up and howled with laughter and joy to see someone playing perfectly at their game. And, if Haurchefant was being completely honest, his heart swelled with pride as he saw Nero grin and wink at him from where he lay.

It wasn’t often the Garlean showed any signs of warming up to him.

Mind back on the task at hand, Haurchefant chucked another snowball at the boy that had fell his companion and made his way into the fort. It seemed he would need to give the children some more pointers when it came to the defense of their fort for there wasn’t a soul within the maze to oppose him. Naturally, they had wanted to keep him and Nero from getting in without a single thought as to how they might stop them if they did. 

He found Carine sitting by their flag pole with one little girl poised and ready to strike. Haurchefant had barely moved out of the way when a fast ball soared past his face followed by the giggle. 

“Wait for him to poke his head around. Hold steady, good job!” Carine coached her with high praise. 

“You aren’t supposed to be helping our enemies!” Haurchefant hissed, though he couldn’t help but smile at how sweetly she was teaching the girl.  _ She’ll make the perfect mother one day, _ he thought and his chest swelled with pride and hope at the thought of it. 

“Imelle wants to become a Temple Knight one day,” Carine told him matter-of-factly, as if that changed everything. “I’m just helping prepare her.”

“Yes, well our dear Nero gave his life to see you safely retrieved and I don’t intend on disappointing him!” Haurchefant called and stepped around the corner. He was ready, his aim already set, but the girl was faster and more agile. She had been instructed to wait for this very moment and she struck while the opportunity presented itself. 

He couldn’t have avoided the snowball even if he tried.

Carine gasped, her eyes wide as Haurchefant looked down at his chest to see the snow splattered against his coat. The little girl, Imelle, screamed with excitement and victory almost as if she could hardly believe it herself. 

Not to be outdone by Nero, Haurchefant teetered on his long legs before falling backwards and closed his eyes in defeat. The children, now miraculously alive thanks to this little girl, came pouring into the fort to celebrate their victory. Carine was forgotten as they lifted the little girl and paraded her around as their hero. Imelle’s smile had to be the purest thing to have ever existed as he peeked behind his lashes. 

Soon enough he felt Carine’s cold fingers at his face as she leaned in and kissed his lips. He sucked in a lungful of air as if her kiss had been the breath of life and sat up to relish in it some more. 

“My brave knight,” she rubbed her nose against his. “Risking it all to save me. How shall I reward you?”

There were a great deal of many ways she could reward him, all of them were not at all appropriate for outside in the snow or in front of children. “Alas, my lady, there was one other fair knight that risked his life for you. It would be remiss of you to reward me when he was the first to make the ultimate sacrifice,” Haurchefant said, reminded of Nero still laying out in the snow. In truth, he brought Nero up only because he could imagine the spark of jealousy the other man would feel if he happened upon them this very moment. 

They had a lot of work to do before either of them were fully comfortable and assured in this arrangement of theirs, at least on Nero’s part. Were it not for his deep affection for their Warrior of Light, Haurchefant might have found himself hesitant too. As it was, they were working on it, little by little, and making progress each day and each outing. He could sacrifice a bit of intimacy if it would help them become more cohesive in the future.

Carine giggled and pressed her forehead to his before helping him to his feet and following him out of the fort. The children were still off parading and making up songs in the name of their hero, too busy to pay attention to the adults they had defeated as they made their way to their fallen comrade. 

Well... _ formerly _ fallen. Nero had taken their defeat as a sign that the game was over and was leaning against a tree scowling at the victors like a sore loser. Even pouting like he was, the man was beautiful. Golden hair tossed about, that single curl dangling delectably over his brow, lips set in a firm line...it was no wonder Carine found him attractive even as a grump. 

He caught sight of them, and before he could open his mouth to chastise Haurchefant for losing against children, Carine rushed toward him and jumped into his arms. The Garlean hadn’t been remotely prepared for the attack and fell backwards into the snow, the air filling with Carine’s clear, melodic laughter. 

Haurchefant couldn’t help but admire them as they kissed or when Nero’s fingers intertwined with Carine’s. Badly as he wanted to join with them, there were still boundaries in place set by the Garlean he wouldn’t impose upon. He didn’t mind, Carine was more than happy to spend all her time with both of them in equal measure and she had more than enough love to share.

And he couldn’t be happier seeing her love and be loved as she deserved.

**Author's Note:**

> These three have become my OT3 and I plan to do a lot more with them working together as a poly-ship in the future. For now, you will get lots of fluffy fics and bask in the glory of their growing relationship <3


End file.
